Prime Minister George Papandreou stressed on Friday that "the fight is
still on for both the country's salvation and change," adding that "we
are getting positive messages but we are not out of the tunnel yet."

Speaking in a meeting between the government, PASOK MPs and party
officials in Parliament, the prime minister underlined that "we are on
a better course" and that PASOK had saved the country from the
destruction to which it was led by the preceding government of New
Democracy (ND). The meeting was attended by government vice-president
Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, ruling
PASOK MPs and party cadres.

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Prime minister George Papandreou on Friday charged that the blockade of
the Acropolis by a group protesting culture and tourism ministry
contract workers was "political party-incited", warning that such
actions serve only those who are banking on Greece's defeat.

Replying to current questions in parliament on Friday, Papandreou
referred to the closure of the Acropolis at the beginning of a
discussion on a current question by Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
leader Aleka Papariga on unemployment.

He said that every citizen's right to freedom of expression is sacred,
but so was the right to the country's wealth "which belongs to no
individual, group or political party".

"No one has the right to put a padlock on, to take hostage, the
country's monuments and to appropriate a global heritage such as the
Acropolis," Papandreou said.

He said that it is only rational and legitimate that there are
reactions in these difficult times. "I am the first to indignant over
where the situation the country is in. But we must not do us harm
ourselves with extreme actions that hurt the country and give leverage
to those banking on Greece's defeat. No party has the right to incite
and approve of such actions," the premier stressed.

Papariga countered that the country's tourism is not shamed by a
hundred protesting contract workers, but by the riot police (MAT).

"The only problem on the Acropolis is that the padlocks have been
changed. But the big problem is Mr. Papoutsis' (Citizens' Protection
minister) riot police," she said.

Papandreou, in turn, called on Papariga to contribute to the changes
being advanced for the country's reform, rather than backing those who
want to put a padlock on the Acropolis and shame the country around the
world.

The premier further accused main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader
Antonis Samaras of being responsible for the situation with the culture
ministry's contract employees which, he said, had its roots back to
Samaras' tenure as culture minister during the ND government.

ND party spokesman Panos Panagiotopoulos, in a statement later, replied
that the completion and opening of the New Acropolis Museum -- "a
project of global stature" -- bore Samaras' signature, and that the
issue of the contract employees had been settled by Samaras with an
amendment "the extension of which the same contract employees are
seeking today".

"On the one hand, then, we have the Acropolis Museum with Samaras' seal
and on the other the chaotic situation with the MAT and the teargas on
the Acropolis with the seal of Papandreou, who is humiliating the
country internationally," Panagiotopoulos said, adding that the people
have already drawn their conclusions.

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Restaurant owners faced by plunging turnover and profits intend to defy
the newly imposed smoking ban and supply their clients with ashtrays as
of Sunday, their federation announced on Friday.

"We are radically opposed to the time period in which the anti-smoking
law is coming to be enforced. In a period when [the drop in] turnover
in venues has reached or exceeded 50 percent, no one can oblige you to
enforce an anti-smoking law that based on the figures that we have from
the European Union leads to a 25 percent reduction in turnover. If to
the 50 percent we add 25 percent then we are finished," said the
president of the Restauranteurs and Related Professions Federation
Yiannis Tsakos in statements to the private ANT1 radio station.

"We are going to put out ashtrays on all the tables. We know they can
shut us down but we will shut down in any case so we want to hand over
the keys and let them pay the rent, the electricity, VAT, local
authorities, everything. Let's see what they will do with the 400,000
people working in the dining sector. On Monday we will be here and
waiting for them to come for the keys," he added.

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ANA-MPA - Greece will auction a three-month Treasury bills issue next
Tuesday, 19 October, seeking to raise 900 million euros from the
market. The issue will be auctioned to the marketās primary dealers and
settlement date was set Friday, 22 October, the Finance ministry said
on Friday.

The Finance ministry said the T-bill issue will be offered to private
investors as well.